CONCLAVE 2010
BY JOHN BERRY
[email protected]www.berrybrothersguides.comSummer must be over because it is time for the Southern Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave once again. This is an annual gathering of fly fishers from across the country that all come here to socialize, learn and fish our storied waters. This is my twenty sixth straight Conclave and I am looking forward to attending. It will be held on Thursday September 30, through Saturday October 2, with a business meeting on Sunday morning October 3. Most of the events on Thursday are held at the Ramada Inn but the action kicks into high gear on Friday and Saturday at the Baxter County Fairgrounds.
One big change has been to greatly reduce the price of admission this year. It only costs ten dollars (fifteen for a family) for admission for all three days of conclave. An even bigger change is to have a single day pass for five dollars (ten for the whole family). Veterans will be admitted free (documentation is required). This is a welcome change that can give a bit of relief to fly fishers and their families in this recession.
This year’s headliners are Dave and Emily Whitlock and Mark Sedotti. Dave is the living legend of fly fishing. What can I say? He is an author, artist, teacher, conservationist and innovative fly tier. His contributions to the sport are unequaled. His wife, Emily is an accomplished conservationist and teacher in her own right. They lived in the twin lakes area for decades before they retired to Dave’s native home in Oklahoma. We have missed them and it is great to see them in the area again. By the way, if you own any of Dave’s books and have not had him autograph them, you need to bring them to Conclave. He does the most creative autograph I have ever seen complete with great individual line drawings of fishing subjects.
Mark Sedotti is a renowned fly casting and fly tying guru. He has developed some incredibly innovative salt water flies. He ties flies over a foot long for some of the larger salt water species. What is impressive is that he can cast these huge flies up to one hundred and eighty feet. I am not talking about just heaving them the distance but casting them with pinpoint accuracy. He has developed some special casting techniques to accomplish this. He will be teaching casting and fly tying seminars at several times during conclave.
Most of the activities on Thursday are special classes or seminars that require an additional fee and last a bit longer. There are several casting seminars that specialize in roll casting, spey casting or preparing for the certified casting instructor examination. There is also a hands on class for operating a drift boat. Don’t miss the fly tying classes or entomology. There is also a class taught by my lovely wife, Lori Sloas, seven simple steps to help you catch fish. There is a social at the Ramada from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (cash bar) with a Conclave Welcoming Dinner from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM open to all (sponsored by the Fort Worth fly fishers. Donations are welcome).
The main body of conclave is held on Friday and Saturday at the Baxter County Fairgrounds. Registration is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on both days. There is a lot going on. The first thing that I notice is the fly tiers. This year my brother, Dan, and I are both tying. We are joined by about a hundred talented tiers from throughout the Southern Council. They range from down and dirty guide tiers like myself to true artists in fur and feather. There are a lot of commercial exhibitors. Rod manufacturers, tackle companies, fly tying material vendors, artists and guide services vie for your attention. Once again, I will have a booth. Please stop by and let me tie a fly for you. I will tie my green butt soft hackle on Friday and Dan’s turkey tail emerger on Saturday.
Outside there are casting pools. This is where you can go out and sharpen your casting skills. There always seems to be a bunch of Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors ready and willing to help you with some great instruction. Lori’s big interest in fly fishing is casting and casting instruction and this is where she hangs out. If you need a quick casting tune up stop by and chat with her.
The highlight of conclave is the seminars. They are offered at the fairgrounds and most are free. There are of course seminars taught by Mark Sedotti and one featuring Emily Whitlock. There is an absolute array of classes many of which are not fly fishing related. One of my favorites is a Dutch oven cooking class taught by my old buddy Dennis Slane. You get to eat some great food in this one. Lori and I are both teaching a seminar. Mine is on a simple approach to fishing soft hackles and Lori’s is on twelve rookie mistakes and how to avoid them.
One extremely popular feature is the youth conclave. In the morning there fly tying and casting classes and the afternoon features a fishing trip to Dry run Creek. This is at no cost. There is a new feature is the fly Fishing X games where teams compete in a variety of categories, rod building, knowledge of knots, fly tying and casting.
As you can see there is a lot going on and I am sure that I missed several features. Stop by and check it all out. I will be there, stop by and say hi!
ASK JOHN
Dennis S. asks: Where do you recommend me and my buddies eat while we are in town for the Conclave?
Dennis, check out KT's in Gassville. I love the ribs. Lori likes the barbequed chicken. Its all good!
